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Purpose: Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) are frequently isolated from blood cultures of hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) patients. Generally, the use of central venous catheters is recognized as a significant risk factor for CoNS infection, while the impact of CoNS infection from oral ulcerative mucositis, which occurs frequently in HCT, may be underestimated. Here, we examined the bacteria on the buccal mucosa after HCT.Methods: Sixty-one patients were examined for bacteria on the buccal mucosa routinely once a week from 1 week before to 3 weeks after allogeneic HCT. Subjects were divided into groups with short and long periods of antibiotic use, and differences in bacterial substitution were evaluated. The relationships between type of HCT (conventional HCT or RIST) and bacterial substitution were also evaluated.Results: The changes in detection frequencies of CoNS and α-streptococci from before to 3 weeks after HCT were significant (P < 0.05, χ (2) test): 14.5-53.3% and 92.7-53.1%, respectively. Significant bacterial substitution of CoNS for streptococci was observed in the long-term antibiotic use group (P < 0.05, χ (2) test), but also occurred in cases with short-term or no antibiotic use. No relationships between type of HCT (conventional HCT or RIST) were observed.Conclusion: Bacterial substitution of CoNS for streptococci occurred frequently on the buccal mucosa after HCT. In addition to antibiotic use, environmental factors may be involved in bacterial substitution. It is important to consider the presence of oral mucositis in CoNS infection after HCT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The commercial saliva substitute Oralbalance has been reported to alleviate symptoms of postradiotherapy xerostomia in head and neck cancer patients. Oralbalance may also be effective for xerostomia in patients undergoing hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) with high-dose chemotherapy and total-body irradiation. However, HCT patients are in a severely compromised condition, and saliva substitute must not promote infection. We reported previously that Oralbalance has antimicrobial effects against microbial species detected during HCT in vitro. This study was performed to determine the in vivo effects of Oralbalance on oral mucosal total bacterial counts in patients undergoing HCT.Methods: A total of 18 neutropenic patients undergoing HCT were enrolled in this study. Before and after 1 week of Oralbalance use, bacterial samples were obtained from patients by wiping an area of varphi1 cm on the buccal mucosa with sterilized cotton swabs. Total bacterial counts of the obtained samples were examined by quantitative polymerase chain reaction amplification of the bacterial 16S ribosomal RNA gene. As controls, bacterial samples were also obtained from ten healthy subjects, and total bacterial counts were examined.Results: No significant increase in bacterial count was observed with use of Oralbalance. None of the patients showed bacterial counts above the range found in healthy controls after using Oralbalance.Conclusions: In neutropenic patients undergoing HCT, Oralbalance did not increase the total counts of oral mucosal bacteria beyond the range found in healthy controls. Oral care using Oralbalance may alleviate the symptoms induced by hyposalivation without promoting infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Oral mucositis is a common symptomatic complication associated with hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT). We use simple strategies aimed to reduce oral mucositis by keeping the oral cavity clean and moist. Here, we report on the progress of oral care and the changes in the degree of oral mucositis. The purpose of this pilot study is to evaluate the effects of our strategies on the prevalence and the severity of oral mucositis.Methods: Fifty-three consecutive patients from 2003 to 2006 administered with conventional allogeneic HCT were enrolled in this study. The degree of oral mucositis was evaluated daily in all patients. Our oral care program was divided into two periods: "examination and trial period (2003 and 2004)" and "intensive oral care period (2005 and 2006)." In the latter, an oral care regimen was carried out systematically by a multidisciplinary team.Results: Using our oral care strategies, the prevalence of ulcerative oral mucositis was decreased significantly. The rate was reduced from 76% (10 of 13) of patients with ulcerative oral mucositis in 2003 to only 20% (3 of 15) in 2006.Conclusions: Our pilot study suggests that oral mucositis in HCT patients can be alleviated by simple strategies aimed at keeping the oral cavity clean and moist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Goals Of Work: Oral and systemic infections arising from the oral cavity are significant problems in clinical management of patients undergoing leukemia treatment. However, there is significant disparity in the reported incidences of development of periodontal infections. Evidence is limited to those showing the systemic influence of periodontal infection in neutropenic patients. This study indicated an association between febrile neutropenia (FN) and periodontitis in a case in which periodontal treatment in the intervals between chemotherapy cycles reduced FN in subsequent courses of chemotherapy and hematopoietic transplantation (HCT).Materials and Methods: Periodontal treatment was performed in a 61-year-old man with advanced periodontitis, who received HCT following three cycles of chemotherapy. After recovery from neutropenia induced by initial chemotherapy, periodontal treatment was performed in each chemotherapy interval period. Following extraction of teeth with severe advanced periodontitis, all teeth were subjected to periodontal pocket curettage and root planning, which are common periodontal treatments to reduce periodontal pockets harboring anaerobic periodontal bacteria, before HCT.Main Results: Periodontal treatment successfully reduced periodontal pockets from 4.1 +/- 1.5 mm to 3.0 +/- 0.6 mm, which was almost within the healthy range (<3.0 mm), before HCT. The frequency of FN decreased significantly with increasing cycles of chemotherapy, and decreases in FN corresponded to progress of periodontal treatment. Blood cultures obtained a total of 12 times throughout leukemia treatment were all negative.Conclusions: The observations reported here indicate the importance of periodontal treatment in clinical management of patients undergoing leukemia treatment to prevent FN, although all blood cultures were negative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent studies have suggested that macrophages were integrated into adipose tissues to interact with adipocytes, thereby exacerbating inflammatory responses. Furthermore, both adipocytes and macrophages appear to express toll-like receptor-4 (TLR-4), and free fatty acids may stimulate cells through TLR-4. Herein, we analyzed genes differentially expressed in adipocytes when co-cultured with macrophages in the presence of a ligand for TLR-4, bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS). RAW264.7, a murine macrophage cell line and differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes were co-cultured using a transwell system. Genes differentially expressed in adipocytes were analyzed by the DNA microarray method following 4, 8, 12 and 24 h stimulation with 1 ng ml−1 of Escherichia coli LPS. Randomly selected genes with high expressions were confirmed by quantitative methods at both the gene and the protein level. Co-culture of macrophages and adipocytes with a low LPS concentration (1 ng ml−1) markedly upregulated gene expressions associated with inflammation and/or angiogenesis, such as those of interleukin-6 (IL-6), MCP-1, RANTES and CXCL1/KC, in adipocytes. Furthermore, several genes associated with insulin resistance were differentially expressed. Upregulations of genes encoding MCP-1, RANTES and CXC/KC were confirmed by quantitative methods. These results suggest that ligands for TLR-4 stimulate both adipocytes and macrophages to upregulate the expressions of many genes associated with inflammation and/or angiogenesis.International Journal of Obesity (2008) 32, 1725–1729; doi:10.1038/ijo.2008.153; published online 9 September 2008 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Goals: Hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) may lead to the development of xerostomia. However, there have been few reports of xerostomia in HCT patients based on objective data. We investigated moisture in the oral mucosa in patients undergoing HCT by the capacitance method using a convenient device, Moisture Checker for Mucus (MCM; Life Co., Ltd., Saitama, Japan).Subjects and Methods: Thirty-six patients undergoing HCT at Okayama University Hospital of Medicine and Dentistry (Male = 22, Female = 14; age = 41.6 +/- 16.2 years old) were enrolled in this study. Moisture in the oral mucosa was measured by MCM in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. The results were obtained as MCM values (%), which are the weight percentage of water content in the oral mucosal epithelium. As controls, moisture of the oral mucosa was also examined in healthy volunteers (Male = 27, Female = 35; age = 43.0 +/- 14.6 years old).Main Results: Throughout the examination period, MCM values were significantly lower in patients who underwent HCT than in controls. The degree of mucosal moisture in HCT patients showed wide interindividual differences.Conclusion: The degree of mucosal moisture in HCT patients was low and showed wide interindividual differences. Evaluation of xerostomia using such a device may contribute to appropriate oral care with saliva substitute. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Goals: The commercially available saliva substitute Oralbalance has been reported to alleviate symptoms of post-radiotherapy xerostomia in head and neck cancer patients. Oralbalance may also be effective for xerostomia in patients undergoing hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) with high-dose chemotherapy and total-body irradiation. However, HCT patients are severely compromised, and saliva substitute must therefore not promote infection. This study was performed to determine the effects of Oralbalance on microbial species identified during HCT.Patients and Methods: Microbial identification of oral mucosa was performed in 28 patients undergoing HCT. The antimicrobial effects of Oralbalance against bacteria and fungi detected in the HCT period were examined in vitro. Briefly, bacteria and fungi were spread on agar plates, and 0.1g of Oralbalance gel was applied (about phi1cm). After incubation at 37 degrees C for 24h, the presence of a transparent zone of inhibition around Oralbalance was observed.Main Results: Not only bacterial species constituting normal flora of the oral mucosa but also those not usually constituting normal flora, e.g., coagulase-negative Staphylococcus, were detected. A transparent zone was observed around Oralbalance in all bacterial species examined. No transparent zone was observed for Candida albicans, but growth was inhibited in the area where Oralbalance was applied.Conclusions: Oralbalance does not facilitate increases in microorganisms in the HCT period. Oral care with Oralbalance does not promote infection in patients undergoing HCT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Experimental investigations are carried out on radial transport phenomena of a pure electron plasma under the application of an external rotating wave that belongs to Trivelpiece-Gould (T-G) modes. Substantial radial compression of the density distribution is achieved by application of a properly controlled rotating electric field to one side of the plasma. Analyses of the observed plasma wave indicate that the efficient increase of the on-axis density entails the substantial damping of the T-G wave propagating in the plasma. The radial particle flux observed during the density compression is consistent with that of the theoretical model based on the drift-kinetic Vlasov equation [Y. Kiwamoto et al., Phys. Plasmas 12, 094501 (2005)]. This result implies that the radial compression of the plasma density distribution consists of the transverse E×B drift of particles subject to resonant wave-particle interaction in the axial dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radial transport in non-neutral plasmas driven by a rotating wave field is examined in terms of the drift-kinetic Vlasov equation. It is shown that the radial flux is generated by the E×B drift of resonant particles subject to Landau damping in the axial dynamics. The rate of change in the canonical angular momentum associated with the radial flux is equal to the torque resonantly exerted by the azimuthal component Eθ of the wave. The absorbed wave energy is shared between the axial kinetic energy of the particles and potential energy of the charged particle system. The basic idea of this model may be extended to a scenario that the radial flux is generated by any other dissipative processes that shift the phase relation between the wave and the particle orbits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Observations have shown that two discrete vortices (clumps) immersed in a broad profile of background vorticity merge quickly or form a binary state that lasts for a long period. The different paths of the vortical evolution critically depend on slight differences in the initial background vorticity distribution (BGVD). By a fine control of the BGVD the asymptotic inter-clump distance is found to be a two-valued function of ∇ζ[sub b]/ζ[sub b][sup 2], where ζ[sub b] is the BGV at the initial location of the clumps, corresponding to the merger and the binary state. The multiplicity is removed by considering the degree of depletion of BGVD between two clumps at the time of their proximity in the initial phase. © 2003 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVES: Tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) participate in the establishment of inflammatory lesions in periodontitis. High production of these cytokines may relate to the severity of periodontitis. There have already been several studies examining the association between periodontitis and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that affect cytokine productivity. Recently, new SNPs of TNF-alpha, -1031, -863 and -857, variants of which are observed in a relatively large proportion in Japanese, have been identified. The variant alleles of these SNPs have been suggested to be related to high TNF-alpha production. For a better understanding of the genetic factors associated with the severity of periodontitis, further analysis including these newly identified SNPs is essential. In addition, previous reports on TNF-alpha or IL-1beta SNPs associated with periodontitis were mainly for Caucasian populations. Therefore, the aim of this study is to examine the association between severe periodontitis in Japanese and the following SNPs: five in the TNF-alpha gene promoter (-1031, -863, -857, -308, -238) and three in the IL-1beta gene (-511, -31, +3953). MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 128 Japanese individuals were enrolled in this study. They were 64 patients with severe adult periodontitis and 64 healthy subjects. TNF-alpha and IL-1beta SNPs were genotyped by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism for all subjects. TNF-alpha and IL-1beta production from LPS-stimulated monocytes/macrophages was also measured for 15 healthy male subjects. RESULTS: TNF-alpha production in TNF-alpha-1031/-863 (linkage disequilibrated) or -857 SNP variant allele carriers tended to be elevated, and the frequency of subjects who carried at least one variant allele in TNF-alpha-1031, -863 or -857 SNPs among severe periodontitis patients was significantly higher than in healthy subjects. CONCLUSION: Since the frequency of subjects who carried at least one variant allele in TNF-alpha-1031, -863 or -857 SNPs was higher in periodontitis patients than in healthy subjects, TNF-alpha-1031, -863 and -857 SNPs appear to be associated with severe adult periodontitis in Japanese populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 71-year-old man with dilated cardiomyopathy and complete atrioventricular block underwent cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) due to chronic heart failure that was not improved by conventional medical treatment. But we found the coronary vein ostium was completely obstructed by coronary venography. The contrast medium flowed out from the right atrium via a collateral pathway. Thus a left ventricular lead was placed via a collateral pathway and was successfully implanted without complications. The postoperative threshold was 2.7 V at 0.4 ms. The subjective symptom improved after CRT. The safety of this procedure was not clear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents the abstract of the study 'Substitution effect of Y3+ with Ca2+ in YBa2Cu3O7-δ,' by H.A. Mook.

Mobile intrinsic localized modes (ILMs) in balanced nonlinear capacitive-inductive cyclic transmission lines are studied by experiment, using a spatiotemporal driver under damped steady-state conditions. Without nonlinear balance, the experimentally observed resonance between the traveling ILM and normal modes of the nonlinear transmission line generates lattice drag via the production of a lattice backwave. In our experimental study of a balanced running ILM in a steady state, it is observed that the fundamental resonance can be removed over extended, well-defined driving frequency intervals and strongly suppressed over the complete ILM driving frequency range. Because both of these nonlinear capacitive and inductive elements display hysteresis our observation demonstrates that the experimental system, which is only partially self-dual, is surprisingly tolerant, regarding the precision necessary to eliminate the ILM backwave. It appears that simply balancing the cell dual nonlinearities makes the ILM envelope shape essentially the same at the two locations in the cell, so that the effective lattice discreteness seen by the ILM nearly vanishes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) films were irradiated with a femtosecond laser beam to alter their electrical resistances. The TiO2 film was produced by aerosol beam deposition. The wavelength, pulse duration, and repetition rate of the femtosecond laser scanned across the sample surface were 800 nm, 100 fs, and 1 kHz, respectively. By attenuating the laser fluence on the TiO2 film, a range was found in which the electrical resistance of the TiO2 film was varied even though the morphology of the film surface was not changed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A high-frequency (HF) oscillation has been observed to propagate along magnetic field lines with an axisymmetric profile extending over multiple columns of magnetized pure electron plasma which undergo two-dimensional vortex motions. The observed frequency is a few hundred times higher than the rotation frequency of the vortices and varies in time as the density distribution of electrons deforms from an unstable hollow profile into vortex columns and approaches a single-peaked distribution. Experimental examinations reveal that the HF oscillation is excited by the gate pulse applied to prepare the initial profile and that the oscillation does not influence the subsequent dynamics of vortex columns. Further examinations including detailed observations and theoretical analyses indicate that the HF oscillation represents a profile-dependent eigenfunction of the Trivelpiece-Gould mode wave that consists of a dominant axisymmetric component and small fractions of higher azimuthal modes associated with the density distribution separated into columns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this experimental study of the nonlinear loss mechanism between traveling localized excitation and the underlying extended normal mode spectrum for a 1D lattice, three types of cyclic, electric, nonlinear transmission lines (NLTLs) are used. They are nonlinear capacitive, inductive, and capacitive+inductive NLTLs. To maintain a robust, steady-state traveling intrinsic localized mode (ILM), a traveling wave driver is used. The ILM loses energy because of a resonance between it and the extended NLTL modes. A wake field excitation is detected directly from ILM velocity experiments by the decrease in ILM speed and by the observation of the wake. Its properties are quantified via a two-dimensional Fourier map in the frequency-wavenumber domain, determined from the measured spatial-time voltage pattern. Simulations support and extend these experimental findings. We find for the capacitive+inductive NLTL configuration, when the two nonlinear terms are theoretically balanced, the wake excitation is calculated to become very small, giving rise to supertransmission over an extended driving frequency range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A convenient formula is obtained for fast calculation of the three-dimensional potential distribution associated with a spatially varying charge-density distribution by reconstructing it as a superposed set of nested spheroidal shells. It is useful for experimental analyses of near-equilibrium states of non-neutral plasmas and for quick evaluation of the gravity field associated with stellar mass distributions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is well known that a moving intrinsic localized mode (ILM) in a nonlinear physical lattice looses energy because of the resonance between it and the underlying small amplitude plane wave spectrum. By exploring the Fourier transform (FT) properties of the nonlinear force of a running ILM in a driven and damped 1D nonlinear lattice, as described by a 2D wavenumber and frequency map, we quantify the magnitude of the resonance where the small amplitude normal mode dispersion curve and the FT amplitude components of the ILM intersect. We show that for a traveling ILM characterized by a specific frequency and wavenumber, either inside or outside the plane wave spectrum, and for situations where both onsite and intersite nonlinearity occur, either of the hard or soft type, the strength of this resonance depends on the specific mix of the two nonlinearities. Examples are presented demonstrating that by engineering this mix the resonance can be greatly reduced. The end result is a supertransmission channel for either a driven or undriven ILM in a nonintegrable, nonlinear yet physical lattice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both low frequency and high frequency impurity modes have been produced in a SiN micromechanical cantilever array by illumination with either an infrared or visible laser. When such laser-induced impurities are placed near a driven intrinsic localized mode (ILM), it is either repelled or attracted. By measuring the linear response spectrum for these two cases, it was found that vibrational hopping of the ILM takes place when the natural frequency of the ILM and an intrinsic even symmetry linear local mode are symmetrically located about the driven ILM frequency so that parametric excitation of these two linear modes is enhanced, amplifying the lateral motion of the ILM. Numerical simulations are consistent with these signature findings. It is also demonstrated that the correct sign of the observed interaction can be found with a harmonic lattice-impurity model but the magnitude of the effect is enhanced in a nonlinear lattice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Methanobrevibacter oralis is an archaeal species frequently isolated from sites of severe periodontitis. However, its pathogenic roles remain unclear. Here, we aimed to isolate group II chaperonin from M. oralis and examine its antigenicity. The genes encoding two chaperonin subunits (Cpn-1 and Cpn-2) were cloned from M. oralis using polymerase chain reaction and genome walking procedures. Recombinant proteins Cpn-1 and Cpn-2 were generated, and the reactivities of sera from patients with periodontitis were examined by Western immunoblotting. The open reading frames of Cpn-1 and Cpn-2 genes consisted of 1641 and 1614 base pairs, respectively. Putative ATP-binding domains conserved among the chaperonin family were observed in both genes. The deduced amino acid sequences of the two genes showed 28.8-40.0% identity to each of the subunits of human CCT (CCT1-8). Thirty and 29 of 36 patients' sera reacted with the recombinant Cpn-1 and recombinant Cpn-2, respectively. Western immunoblotting using antiserum against human CCT subunits indicated that anti-CCT3 and anti-CCT8 antibodies recognized recombinant Cpn-1. In addition, anti-CCT1, CCT3, CCT6, and CCT8 antibodies recognized an antigen of approximately 60 kDa in M. oralis. The results suggested that the chaperonin subunits of M. oralis were antigenic molecules that were recognized by periodontitis patients and that may cross-react with human chaperonin CCT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: New results are shown on carbon deposition and mixed layer formation on tungsten surfaces in TEXTOR test limiter experiments by varying surface conditions such as surface roughness (R a: 10nm–1μm), temperature (300–900°C), and initial surface carbon concentration (0–60%). It is found that surface roughness significantly affected C deposition for both W and graphite substrates such as increase in the C deposition and extension of the C deposition area. Not only the surface roughness parameter R a but also detailed surface morphology closely relate to C deposition on tungsten. Carbon deposition hardly occurred at least above ∼520°C on tungsten under TEXTOR edge plasma conditions. Carbon behavior on tungsten at 770–930°C depends on the incident carbon ion energy. Although tungsten and carbon mixing layers affected C deposition, their effect is less than the roughness effect. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

OBJECTIVES: The expression of interleukin (IL)-12Rbeta2 molecule is a crucial regulatory factor in the T-helper type (Th) 1 differentiation of T cells. To elucidate the role of the cell-mediated immune (CMI) response in the pathogenesis of periodontitis, Japanese periodontal patients were subjected to single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analyses of the 5' flanking region of IL12RB2, whose variants are frequently detected in lepromatous leprosy patients, in which the very weak cellular immune response is caused by low expression of IL-12Rbeta2. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The gene polymorphisms of the 5' flanking region of IL12RB2 were examined in subjects with several types of periodontal disease and in healthy controls. Serum immunoglobulin (Ig) G antibody titres against periodontopathic bacteria were measured and compared in periodontal patients with and without variant alleles of IL12RB2. RESULTS: The frequencies of variant alleles of IL12RB2 were significantly higher in aggressive periodontitis patients as compared with healthy controls or chronic periodontitis patients. Serum IgG titres against all periodontal bacteria examined in subjects carrying variant alleles were higher than those in subjects without variant alleles. CONCLUSION: IL-12Rbeta2 SNPs could be useful as genetic markers to access the susceptibility of the general population to periodontal disease. Low CMI responses or high humoral responses are associated with the pathogenesis of inflammatory periodontal diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A tunable planar narrow-band Bragg reflector based on coupling of the two propagating modes and a cutoff mode is considered. Coupled-wave analysis together with direct numerical simulations demonstrate operation of the proposed scheme up to the terahertz frequency band. Compatibility with the transportation of an intense electron beam encourages the use of a novel Bragg reflector in powerful long-pulse free electron lasers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]